The Cost of Silence: Unpacking the Pressure to Hide Cybersecurity Breaches

In cybersecurity, timing is everything. How an organization responds to a breach, especially in the first critical hours, can be the difference between a contained incident and a full-blown crisis. However, according to new findings from the 2025 Bitdefender Cybersecurity Assessment Report, many organizations are prioritizing not only speed but also silence. And that choice can carry a cost.

Nearly 6 in 10 Cybersecurity Professionals Told to Stay Quiet

Bitdefender’s latest global survey of 1,200 IT and security professionals paints a concerning picture: 58% of respondents say they were instructed to keep a breach confidential, even when it was required to be reported. That figure marks a 38% increase since 2023, meaning it’s no longer an anomaly.

The survey also reveals this pressure isn’t limited to a single level of leadership. 69% of C-level executives, including CISOs and CIOs, report being told to stay silent about a breach. However, mid-level managers aren’t exempt either—46% say they’ve faced similar directives. Across industries and geographies, breach concealment is emerging as an intentional organizational decision.

Silence Is Global

The pressure to stay silent isn’t isolated to a specific region. However, the survey reveals it's more common in some countries than others. Here are the percentages of respondents who reported being told to keep quiet about a breach in the last 12 months.

• Singapore: 76%
• USA: 74%
• UK: 58%
• Italy: 53%
• Germany: 48%
• France: 35%

Results from the Bitdefender 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment Report

These numbers suggest that organizations in both high-regulation and mid-regulation environments are grappling with a similar core conflict regarding whether to stay silent following a breach.

Fear of Fallout

Why are organizations choosing discretion over disclosure? One possible answer: fear.

“In an era of increased regulation and sharper scrutiny, organizations face significant financial, regulatory, and reputational risks if a breach reveals non-compliance,” says Bitdefender Director of Cyber Security Services Nicholas Jackson. Jackson regularly speaks and writes about compliance.

“Staying silent may be about avoiding consequences, but it can drive costs higher if discovered. Many regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, increase fines for failing to notify authorities within mandated timelines. And this discovery can also magnify reputational impacts a breach may have.”

Potential Costs of Silence

The temptation to cover up breaches may feel like the safest short-term play. But the 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment Report explores longer-term consequences if that decision backfires:

• Regulatory fines that escalate quickly with delayed disclosure
• Reputational damage amplified by the perception of dishonesty
• Decreased internal trust, as teams question the ethics of their leadership

These outcomes can potentially affect shareholder confidence, customer loyalty, and even talent acquisition.

Compliance Beyond the Checkbox

One insight that emerges clearly here is that compliance can no longer be a mere check box. “Organizations that treat it as a checklist item may be incentivized to hide problems,” says Jackson. “But those who view compliance as a strategic enabler are better positioned to reduce risk long-term.”

This shift is already underway. The report notes that many companies are now adopting compliance management tools—not just to pass audits, but to embed resilience into their operational DNA. These platforms help identify, track, and document compliance issues regularly, then streamline and simplify compliance processes. Ultimately, organizations utilizing these tools can feel significantly more confident in their security posture and compliance efforts.

Additional Findings

This is just one of many key findings from our survey of 1,200 IT & cybersecurity professionals.

Download the Bitdefender 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment Report

In this year’s report, see what your peers are saying about the AI arms race, the disconnect between the C-suite and the front line, the growing focus on attack surface reduction, and much more.